Ava’s POV

The walls of the room felt as though they were closing in on me. Every shadow seemed to mock me, every creak of the floorboards a whisper of my shame. The ringing of my phone broke the silence, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer it. Not now. Not when my world was crumbling.

I forced myself out of the bathtub, my skin wrinkled and red from soaking too long. Wrapping a towel around me, I stared at my reflection in the fogged-up mirror. My eyes were swollen, my face pale. I barely recognized the woman looking back at me.

"You can't fall apart," I muttered to myself,...